Signs
by N.a.brun
Summary: Merlin waits for him, for many long years he waits. But sometimes he's not entirely alone. Arthur watches out for him always.
1. Chapter 1

A/N **Hello There! This story takes place right after the end of merlin**

Merlin stayed. For days he sat in that spot, facing the calm waters of Avalon. Time seemed to warp and twist around him, and he felt nothing. No hunger, no need for sleep. All he saw was Arthur's blank face, the man whom Merlin had commited to protect. It was like the image of Arthur's death was burned into Merlin's retinas. Wildlife avoided the cheery looking clearing, where the warlock sat vigil.

Animals have the sense of knowing when powerful magic is near. Especially when it was in turmoil. _All for nothing, all for nothing,_ played the crushing mantra in Merlin's head.

The seed of anger had lodged itself in Merlin's heart. As he gazed out at the serene waters, Merlin felt doubt and fear pulsing through his mind.

 _Why?_

He glared at the glass lake. Why did it appear so.. Indifferent. As though it didn't care that it had stolen Arthur from him. Taken him away. And it just sat there, like it didn't know Merlin's world was erupting, mere inches from it's banks.

On the fourth day, Merlin broke.

A scream bubbled up from deep inside of him, saying _why, why, why?_ A powerful wave of golden magic burst from the warlock, who was yelling to the high heavens. The wave pushed at the waters of lake Avalon causing waves to rush away into the distance.

Far, far away, Gaius felt a sharp twinge at his heart, as it ached for everything it had lost.

Golden tears leaked from the warlock's eyes, as he was enveloped in a bronze haze of Magic. Merlin knew, knew the warm golden light was trying to comfort him. He cursed his magic, and sent it away. It had caused this, Merlin thought. He cursed his destiny, Kiligarah, It WASN'T FAIR!

Sobs ripped out of Merlin's chest as he lay, curled in upon himself, next to the unyielding waters.

He had spent years of his life, just so his best friend could be stolen from him. How dare- how dare they all...

"Give him back!" Merlin sobbed.

 _"Dollophead."_ A soft voice whispered in his ear. " _For a wizard you have a very small amount of patience."_

Merlin sat up, shocked. He stared out at the waters, half expecting to see Arthur walking towards him shaking his tawny head.

He felt a warm mass squeeze his shoulders, and something wiped away his tears. Then it was gone.

Merlin felt a uncontrollable smile split his face open, and he knew, Arthur was still watching out for him.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Day 25_**

Merlin lay in his makeshift tent, gazing up at the starry night sky. Thoughts of Gaius, and of Gwen flitted across his mind, as he contemplated the vast dome of dark. Was Gaius asleep; snoring in his little cot, or was he kept up staring at the same night sky. Was Gwen asleep, alone in her feather matteress, or was she still searching. Merlin guessed it was the latter for both of them.

Merlin knew he should let them know what happened. However, he had no desire in the world to go within 20 feet of the lake. It felt as if a powerful force had tied a rope around him that lead straight to the center of the lake.

Earlier that day, he had come up with a solution while he was scavenging for berries. He had whistled, muttering a summoning charm beforehand, and a beautiful canary flew down from the treetops. Merlin pressed a leaf between two rocks, and wrote in cramped writing with bright red berry juice, a note. It had said this,

 _My Dearest Gaius._

 _I have enchanted this bird to find you, when it does, as I know it will, please take his note straight to Queen Quinevere._ _I am at the Lake of Avalon. You know what this means Gaius. I have failed in my destiny, and now I must wait. Arthur will return, and the land of Albion will be united, and I will be by his side when it happens, I will not fail him again. I am so, so sorry. I wish I could return to you, and continue being your apprentice until your days end. Arthur needs me, and I must stay with him. He is dead Gaius._

 _The king is dead._

 _Yours, Merlin_

The note had been splattered with a few drops of wetness, that Merlin had quickly smudged away. He tied the note to the birds leg with a string from his kerchief, and watched as it flew off into the distance.

He was quite proud with himself. He had found a huge bush of blackberries his seventh day, and the nuts and fruit animals brought to him, well. That had not been explained yet. The best day so far, had been when a wild boar unexpectantly, jumped into the lake and drowned itself. Merlin had felt quite sick, having observed it all, but happy when he had fresh meat for supper. Even if it was a little soggy.

* * *

Merlin awoke the next morning, and _stretched._ He was SO not used to sleeping on the forest floor yet. As his vertabre rolled around, and cracked threatiningly in his back, Merlin's eyes fell onto the bank. He shot up, and stumbled over to the golden plate stacked full of ripe, shiny apples.

Merlin's mouth started watering, but he with held from diving in. He found his pocket knife, and slowly sliced up one of the juicy apples. He laid out the fresh slices, and picked the best looking one. He stood, and using his best javelin throwing form, threw it into the lake, just as he did with the very best of his meals.

"Thank you Sire." Merlin muttered, bowing his head.

A few moments passed, and Merlin turned away frustrated. Arthur had only spoken to him twice, the second time to laugh heartily when Merlin fell in the lake. He had been trying in vain to get him speak again, ever since then. He had sat and asked questions for hours, sometimes recieveing strange ripples in the water, but no answers. So Merlin had talked, and talked, and talked. Until he lost his voice in fact. Merlin had told stories, listed old friends, and described the weather.

Once or twice he had had the feeling Arthur was actually sitting right next to him, listening intently.

Just as Merlin sat with his apples again, Arthur's disembodied voice chuckled.

" _Twenty_ _favors down, a bigillion to go. Repaying you is such hard work."_

Merlin could hear the smile in Arthur's voice.


	3. Chapter 3

**Day 34**

Merlin had been picking flowers when they came. He sensed their presence before he saw them.

The royal procession cantered into the clearing, followed by a line of craftsmen, telling by their clothes. Merlin felt a little disgruntled, seeing so many people in his clearing, but that feeling flew away as he saw Gwen climbing down from her horse Beauty. Merlin stayed back in the forest line, unsure of the welcome he would get.

Gwen was in her finest red dress, and she seemed unperturbed as it trailed in the mud. As she walked forward, she saw Merlin's makeshift tent. She started running towards it, and Merlin could see her despondent look when she found it empty.

"Merlin?" She called, her voice shaky.

Merlin could see the damage these few weeks since Arthur's disapperence had caused the Queen. Her face appeared rubbed raw, noticable even from a distance. She seemed frailer, even smaller than the confident Gwen that Merlin knew. Even the way she held herself, presented doubt and fear.

Merlin longed to run to her, but the threatening swords of the guards at the edge of the clearing stayed his feet. Gwen started to venture towards the forest, unknowingly towards Merlin.

"My lady, it might not be safe in there." A guard said. "There is a sorcerer about."

Gwen turned towards the guard, a look of comprehension on her face. Her lips formed a silent, " _Oh_ " as she realized Merlin's hesitation. A look of fury crossed her face, a rare expression for Gwen.

"This _Sorcerer-_ " Gwen spat at the offending guard. "Is the most loyal, most powerful, most loving friend I have ever had the honor to have. He presents no threat to the Camelot, and in fact it would not still be standing if it wasn't for him. He was manservant to King Arthur for fifteen years, and he was Arthur's most trusted companion. And he will be treated as such by _all of you_ , and the kingdom."

The guard had looked terrified throughout the Queen's tirade, and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at it's end.

"Yes your Majesty." He monotoned, bowing low.

The Queen turned her attention back to the forest.

"Merlin?" She said quietly. "Merlin you can come out now."

The warlock in question, slowly stepped into a shaft of sunlight between the trees, his face questioning.

"Gwen?"

The Queen's face lit up with a joy that surprised her fully, she had doubted she would ever be happy again.

She ran towards the warlock, ignoring the stupid Queenly etiquette, and yelling, "Merlin, oh _Merlin_!"

Some of the more kindly guards who had been around longer, smiled happily to themselves at seeing the wellknown servant of the King, and the Queen embrace. She certainly could use the happiness.

* * *

Midday found the pair of old friends sitting on the lakeside, dipping their feet into the water. Earlier, Merlin had been quite shocked at Guinevere's offer of a house, but had been convinced of the thought of another night on the mossy ground. She had told him with a smile, that another caravan of people would be arriving in a days time, loaded with household items. In the meantime she had set her over a hundred craftsmen to work. They kindly had brought their own wood.

Merlin was slightly giddy at the prospect of having his own cottage all to himself, and overcome with Gwen's kindness when she mentioned all the luxury's that were on there way.

However his joy faded fast as Gwen started to relate all that had happened in his absence. Many of the knight's were dead, some very good friends. At the sound of Gwaine's name in the list of the dead, Merlin could barely stifle a sob.

After a long hug from Gwen, she continued her retelling. She was sent with a letter from Gaius, and several of his books, and a very extreme apology for not coming. When Gwen spoke of Gaius, Merlin noticed a flash of worry creasing her eyebrows.

When asked, all she would say on Gaius' health was, "He's... He's not doing so good."

Merlin let the subject drop when he saw the distress it caused gwen, but mentally planned to continue the conversation later.

Eventually the part came that Merlin had been dreading. As the sounds of the woodworker's hammer's clanged behind them, gwen looked at him expectantly.

"Now you," She said. "I need to know."

Merlin took a deep breath, and willed himself the strength enough to retell what had happened after the battle.

After two more hours, several cries of horror, buckets of tears, and a heavy sadness speaking of all the things that could have been, Merlin finished his story. Merlin had edited out the part's about Arthur talking to him, because he got a strange feeling, it wasn't anything that Arthur could do for another person, no matter how much he wanted to.

He could almost feel Arthur's spirit struggling. He shook the feeling off, and broke the depressing silence that had fallen.

"Well he always knew how to make a grand exit." Merlin chuckled halfheartedly.

Gwen cracked a watery smile, and continued to stare into the depths of the fog in front of them. She had half expected to see a spectar of Arthur passing along the riverbank when she came. Yet she was only slightly disappointed. She could feel Arthur living on through his bond with Merlin. The faithful Warlock waiting for his king.

"Merlin?" Gwen asked after a minute.

"Yes My Queen?" Merlin joked.

Gwen rolled her eyes, but then grew serious again.

"What are you going to do when we are all dead and gone?"

Merlin stared at Gwen for several moments. He sensed the wisdom beyond her years, and a slight premenition of something Merlin had wondered himself. He had not told her that he suspected he was now immortal.

"I suppose... I will do what I have been doing for the past few years. Wait for my destiny to return." Merlin said with a smile.

A single red rose grew up between the two of them, a gust of wind dislodged the rose and blew it into Gwen's lap.

"Did you do that?" Gwen asked surprised.

Merlin smiled to himself, Arthur was with his Queen forevermore.


	4. Chapter 4

**Day 40**

Merlin sat on his new porch, gazing out at Avalon.

Gwen had left one day ago. She had kept Merlin company as his new dwelling was being built. He had been very encouraging when he heard Gwen's well thought out plan about making new magic laws. She had considered Merlin's advice, creating an academy to train young people born with magic, and give them opportunities for places in court. It would take time, she had said with a smile, but she swore to Merlin that magic would be welcome in her lifetime. Merlin could not stop hugging Gwen after that.

She promised she would visit again soon, and send word to Merlin's mother. Still, she could do nothing for when the crashing waves of rememberance hit Merlin the moment she left. Merlin felt as if he had cried enough tears to last a average person a lifetime.

Two months ago, everything had been completely normal. Time seemed to go so slow, when all you were doing was wishing for it to turn back. Merlin felt the constant companion -sadness- in his chest stir once again. His heart ached for all it had lost. Merlin had known for years what was to come, but when it actually came knocking on his door, he was not prepared.

Who would be prepared to have everything they loved, ripped away from them?

The weather seemed to mirror Merlin's mood. Dense waves of fog were cascading over his lake, obscuring the tower beyond. Merlin hadn't slept for verging on a week. He spent his nights reliving memories of the golden years- what he had fondly dubbed the happy years spent as manservant to Arthur. Merlin had wondered sardonically if people who lay on their deathbeds spent their time wishing back all their wasted minutes. What about a wasted life.

Merlin found a raging battle inside of him. His joyful personality was being vanquished by the sullen attitude of loss. And frankly Merlin couldn't care less. More frequently Merlin found himself lashing out. The only solace he found, was when he was sitting at his desk writing out adventures from the Golden years.

A week -maybe more- after Gwen left, Merlin looked in the mirror, and reeled back in shock.

A man stood staring back at Merlin with red eyes, his hair growing long and unkempt, and an inch long beard sprouting on his face. A shaking hand rose up and touched the man's -Merlin's- face. A slightly hysterical laugh escaped Merlin's chest, scaring the poor warlock even more. What had he let himself turn into?


End file.
